Gerhard von Scharnhorst
Gerhard Johann David von Scharnhorst (12 November 1755 – 28 June 1813) was a Hanoverian-born
general in
Prussian service from 1801. As the first Chief of the
Prussian General Staff, he was noted for his military theories, his reforms of the Prussian army, and his
leadership during the
Napoleonic Wars. Scharnhorst limited the use of
corporal punishments, established promotion for merit, abolished the enrollment of foreigners, began the organization of a reserve army, and organized and simplified the military administration.
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